Transformations

Notch-O Mama’s Weight Loss Plan!

Work brought my family and I here to Portland in March of this year. The move itself was very daunting, but I was also excited as it was also an opportunity to find a good gym that I might attend.

I visited a couple of gyms on my own, but then friend and co-worker Bill Klingler invited me here.

I went to Jump Start class and really enjoyed the coaches and the people, so I made it my home.

From there, I went to all the Jump Start classes, and I would recommend that to everyone before they jump into a regular class.

As soon as I started the WODs and tracking my progress on the main site, I knew this was for me.

I even built my own set of PVC rings in my garage in NC.

(Thanks to my wife Becky for putting up with me during my more “I must have my own box moments”).

But right after my first 101 class it felt right. It was an “ah-ha” moment for me. I’m typically a pretty driven person, and I thought I was pushing myself on my own, but the competition aspect, the camaraderie, and simply the environment really clicked for me.

It may sound funny, but I remember being intimidated by the other people in my classes. I was and still am a bit of a larger guy, and my cardio is something I have to continue to really work on (among many other things), but I was always afraid I’d embarrass myself due to inability, or let other people in class down if I couldn’t keep up.

But everyone I’ve ever met in a class has been incredibly encouraging, and never once have I felt anything but positive energy.

It’s great to complete something difficult and have a great group of people right there cheering with and for you.

Now I realize that I don’t have to be embarrassed. I’m much more comfortable both in my own skin (thanks to changes from the great workouts), and also because I know that the group as a whole is there to pull for one another.

When I joined, climbing a rope was a joke. I could barely even hold on to the rope for time. At the last benchmark, I actually made it up the rope in 17.5 seconds.